Nouns: Definition & Types with Examples

Nouns, also called naming words, would probably be the very first part of speech you would have learnt
in your English grammar classes. Anything we can touch, see, smell, taste, hear and hold can be referred
to as nouns.

What Is a Noun?
Nouns are a part of speech that comprise words that are used to name people, places, animals, objects .
Almost every sentence will definitely have a noun, and they perform different roles in a sentence. Nouns
can act as the subject, an indirect object, a direct object, a subject complement and an object complement.
Nouns can also function as adjectives and verbs.

Examples of Nouns:

 People – Rahul, Sheela, Man, Person, Tommy, Women, Girl, The Prime Minister
 Places – Bangalore, India, Mexico, North Pole, South Africa, The Nile River, Classroom,
Bedroom, Basketball Court, Cricket Ground, Swimming Pool
 Animals/Birds/Aquatic Animals/Reptiles – Lion, Zebra, Snake, Ostrich, Flamingo, Bear, Cat,
Fish, Shark
 Objects/Things – Bat, Cycle, Curtains, Paper, Bag, Blackboard, Cupboard

Types of Nouns
Nouns can be broadly classified into:

1. Proper Nouns: Nouns that are used to name a person, place or thing specifically are called a proper
noun. Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter.

Examples:

 My name is Rose. (Name of a particular person)

 This is my dog, Bruno. (Name of a specific pet animal owned by someone)
 David came back from Minsk. (Name of a specific place)
 Louis Philippe is a famous brand of men’s clothing. (Name of a particular
clothing brand)
2. Common nouns: Common nouns are those nouns that refer to a generic item, group or place. This
means that, unlike proper nouns, they are not used to identify specific people, places or objects. Common
nouns are not capitalised unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.
Examples:

 I bought a pen yesterday. (Common object)

 I am going to school. (Common place)
 Only ten employees showed up to work today. (Common group)
 The car is out of fuel. (Common items)
3. Singular nouns: These are words that are used to name a single person, place, animal, bird or object.

Examples:

 There is a little boy in front of our house. (Single person)

 That is my daughter. (Single person)
 I found a wounded sparrow in the bush. (Single bird)
 A red van has been following us for a long time. (Single object)
4. Plural nouns: Plural nouns refer to a number of people, places, animals or things. Nouns are made
plural by adding an ‘s’ or ‘es’ or ‘ies’ or ‘ves’ to the existing root word. Nouns that end with an ‘s’ remain
the same. Some nouns remain the same in both their singular and plural forms, and some others have
totally different spelling.

Examples:

 I need some apples.

 Did you find the boxes you were looking for?
 I bought mangoes from the market.
 We took photos of some deer on our way.
5. Countable nouns are those nouns that can be counted or measured.

Examples:

 Tom brought ten packets of lays for the trip. (specific number – ten)
 Mom asked me to buy a dozen eggs. (specific – dozen means twelve)
 I saw an aeroplane around seven in the morning. (specific – an means one)
6. Uncountable nouns are those nouns that cannot be counted. This category of nouns includes both
concrete and abstract nouns.

Examples:

 I have a lot of homework to do. (Not specific)

 I have a cup of tea. (Cannot count)
 We are facing terrible weather today. (Cannot count)
7. Collective Nouns: A collective noun is a naming word that is used to denote a group of objects,
animals or people.

Examples:

 Collective nouns for groups of animals

 A pride of lions
 A flock of sheep
 A swarm of bees
 A herd of elephants
 Collective nouns for groups of people
 A band of musicians
 A board of directors
 A crew of sailors
 A company of actors
 Collective nouns for a number of things/objects
 A pair of shoes
 A chain of mountains
 A fleet of ships
 A bunch of grapes

8. Concrete Nouns: A concrete noun refers to objects that are material and can be perceived by the
human senses.

Examples:

 The book is on the table.

 I had a cup of coffee.
 Sharon opened the windows.
 Hardy goes to school by bus.
9. Abstract Nouns: Any entity that cannot be perceived by the five senses of the human body are called
an abstract noun.

Examples:

 Love is a strong emotion.

 Honesty is the best policy.
 It takes a lot of courage to raise your voice and stand up against injustice.
 You should not misuse the freedom you are given.
Nouns Used as Different Components of a Sentence

Nouns Used as a Subject

When used as a subject, a noun mostly appears at the beginning of a sentence. It can be identified by
asking the question ‘who’.

Examples:

 Bruno went to the playground.

 The teacher asked the students to submit their assignments.
 The elephant was rescued safely after ten long hours.

Nouns Used as an Object

When nouns are used as objects, they appear in the latter part of a sentence. It can be identified by asking
the question ‘what’.

Examples:

 I bought a pen.
 Where is your book?
 I cannot find today’s newspaper.
Nouns can be used as a direct object and an indirect object.

Nouns Used as a Direct Object

You can identify a noun used as a direct object by asking the question ‘what’.

Examples:

 Do you want a lollipop? (What do you want? – a lollipop)

 I loved my dress. (What did you love? – my dress)

Nouns Used as an Indirect Object

You can ask the question ‘for whom’ to identify a noun used as an indirect object.

Examples:

 Dan bought his sister a Mini Cooper. (For whom did Dan buy a Mini Cooper? – his sister)
 Megha baked Julie a cake. (For whom did Megha bake a cake? – Julie)
Nouns Used as a Complement

When a noun is used to modify or describe another noun, it acts as a complement.

Nouns Used as a Subject Complement

Professions and positions can perform the role of a subject complement.

Examples:

 My brother is an engineer.
 Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

Nouns Used as an Object Complement

Object complements are nouns that follow the noun they modify. Names, professions and positions can
perform the role of an object complement.

Examples:

 We named our dog, Shadow.

 The teacher made Tabitha, the class leader.

What Is a Pronoun?

A pronoun is used in the place of a noun. It substitutes the noun in a paragraph or piece of writing to avoid repetition
of the noun. Pronouns can be used in singular and plural forms. The verb used in the sentence should be used in
accordance with the particular form of the pronoun used.

Pronouns are generally classified into three main kinds.

Person Singular Pronoun Plural Pronoun

First Person Pronoun I, Me We, Us

Second Person Pronoun You, Your You

Third Person Pronoun He, She, It, Him, Her They, Them, Their

Definition of a Pronoun

A pronoun is defined as ‘a word that is used instead of a noun or a noun phrase’, according to the Cambridge
Dictionary. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines pronouns as ‘any of a small set of words (such
as I, she, he, you, it, we, or they) in a language that are used as substitutes for nouns or noun phrases and whose
referents are named or understood in the context’. According to the Collins Dictionary, ‘A pronoun is a word that
you use to refer to someone or something when you do not need to use a noun, often because the person or thing has
been mentioned earlier. Examples are ‘it’, ‘she’, ‘something’, and ‘myself’.’
Types of Pronouns with Examples

Pronouns can be classified into different types based on their functions. Given below are the various types of
pronouns. Go through the examples carefully to have a clear understanding of each type of pronoun and its function.

 Relative Pronouns are pronouns that are used to relate one part of the sentence to another. Some examples
of relative pronouns are that, which, where, when, why, what, whom and whose.

 Possessive Pronouns are pronouns that are used to show possession. Some examples of possessive
pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, theirs and its.

 Reflexive Pronouns are pronouns that are used to refer back to the subject in the sentence. Some examples
of reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, oneself, itself, ourselves, themselves and
yourselves.

 Demonstrative Pronouns are pronouns that are used to point to specific objects. Some examples of
demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these and those.

 Interrogative Pronouns are pronouns that are used to ask questions. Some examples of interrogative
pronouns are who, what, when, why and where.

 Indefinite Pronouns are pronouns that do not refer to any particular person, place or thing. Some examples
of indefinite pronouns are someone, somebody, somewhere, something, anyone, anybody, anywhere,
anything, no one, nobody, nowhere, everyone, everybody, everywhere, everything, each, none, few, and
many.

 Personal Pronouns are simple pronouns that are used to substitute proper names. Some examples of
personal pronouns are I, you, he, she, we, they, him, her, he, she, us and them.

 Subject Pronouns are pronouns that perform the action in a sentence. Some examples of subject pronouns
are I, you, we, he, she, it, they and one.

 Object Pronouns are pronouns that receive the action in a sentence. Some examples of object pronouns are
me, us, him, her and them.

 Reciprocal Pronouns are pronouns that are used to express a mutual relationship. Some examples of
reciprocal pronouns are each other and one another.

Verbs in English Grammar

In the English language or any language for that matter, verbs happen to be an essential part of speech, without
which it would be impossible to indicate what the subject is doing. It refers to all actions, including those related to
feelings and emotions. Verbs come in different types and forms so that they can perform differently in order to
provide complete meaning. Before we look into the types of verbs and the verb forms, let us look at how various
dictionaries define the term ‘verb’.

Definition of a Verb

The Oxford Learners’ Dictionary defines a ‘verb’ as “a word or group of words that express an action (such as eat),
an event (such as happen) or a state (such as exist)”. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a ‘verb’ is defined as
“a word or phrase that describes an action, condition, or experience”. The Collins Dictionary provides a much more
elaborate definition of a verb. According to them, “A verb is a word such as ‘ sing’, ‘ feel’, or ‘ die’ which is used
with a subject to say what someone or something does or what happens to them, or to give information about them”.

General Classification of Verbs according to What They Signify

Before we get into a broad classification, let us first have a look at how verbs can be classified generally according
to what kind of action they signify.

Verbs Referring to Actions

Verbs referring to action (action verbs) are those that involve the movement of one’s body in one way or the other.
Some examples of verbs referring to actions are as follows:

 Walk Run Talk Sit Read Write

 Jog

 Cough

 Sleep

 Jump

 Sing

 Drink

 Teach

 Present

 Build

 Break

 Tow

 Toss

 Hug

 Fight

Verbs Referring to Experiences or Feelings

These are verbs that refer to something that you can feel or experience and do not necessarily involve a movement
of any kind. Some examples of verbs referring to feelings and experiences are as follows:

 Love

 Hate

 Envy
  Believe

 Trust

 Feel

 Entrust

 Experience

 Care

 Cherish

 Sense

 Know

 Recognise

 Understand

 Comprehend

 Like

 Need

 Adore

 Loathe

 Appreciate

Verbs Referring to a State or Condition

These verbs are those that refer to situations or the state of being. All forms of ‘to be’ verbs belong to this category.
Some examples of verbs referring to a state or condition are as follows:

 Am

 Is

 Are

 Was

 Were

 Have

 Has

 Will be
  Appear

 Seem

 Become

 Been

 Being

The Various Types of Verbs with Examples

Verbs can be classified into numerous types according to their function or role in a sentence or context. Let us look
into the various types of verbs and some examples of each type of verb.

Auxiliary Verbs/Helping Verbs

Auxiliary verbs or helping verbs, as the name suggests, is a verb that is used to help another verb sound sensible and
meaningful. It is used to change the other verb’s tense, mood or voice. So, every time an auxiliary verb is used, you
always have one more verb, which acts as the main verb in a sentence.

Examples of auxiliary verbs are as follows:

 Am

 Is

 Are

 Was

 Were

 Have

 Has

 Do

 Will

 Can

One point you have to take care of when you use auxiliary verbs is that you should conjugate the auxiliary verb
correctly according to the tense form of a sentence. Another specific fact about auxiliary verbs is that they can also
be used as a main verb. Also, there are verbs called modal verbs that can be used as a helping verb.

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are those verbs that are used to denote the possibility, probability, capability or necessity of something
happening. Modal verbs, unlike other auxiliary verbs, cannot be used as a main verb in a sentence.

Examples of modal verbs are as follows:

  Can

 Could

 Will

 Would

 May

 Might

 Should

 Must

 Ought to

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs include phrases that are formed by combining two or more parts of speech that performs the same
function as a verb in a sentence. In most cases, a phrasal verb results from a combination of a verb and a preposition.

Some examples of phrasal verbs are as follows:

 Go by

 Lay off

 Log in

 Get off

 Run out

 Go all out

 Think through

 Fed up

 Taken aback

 Act on

 Back away

 Back up

 Look up

 Mix up

 Opt out
  Pop in

Linking Verbs

A linking verb, just like the name suggests, is a type of verb that is used to link the subjects in a sentence to the other
parts of the sentence so that it is meaningful. It connects the subject to the object, an adjective and even
a prepositional phrase. All ‘to be’ forms of verbs and verbs like ‘seem’ and ‘become’ can act as linking verbs.

Have a look at the following examples to understand how verbs perform the role of a linking verb in sentences.

Example 1: Connecting Nouns to Other Nouns in a Sentence

Danny is my brother.

In the above example, the verb ‘is’ is used to connect the subject ‘Danny’ as the ‘brother’ of the speaker. In this
sentence, the words ‘Danny’ and ‘brother’ are used to refer to the same person.

Example 2: Connecting a Noun to a Prepositional Phrase in a Sentence

The children were in the park.

In Example 2, the verb ‘were’ is used to connect the subject ‘the children’ to the prepositional phrase ‘in the park’.

Example 3: Connecting a Noun/Subject to an Adjective

Your presentation of the life cycle of the silkworm was excellent.

In the above example, the verb ‘was’ is used to link the subject ‘Your presentation of the life cycle of a silkworm’ to
the adjective ‘excellent’.

Example 4: Connecting the Subject/Noun to the Predicate using Seem/Become

This book on a treasure hunt seems interesting.

In this sentence, the subject ‘This book on a treasure hunt’ is connected to the adjective ‘interesting’ with the linking
verb ‘seem’.

The students became bored after two continuous hours of classes and were not ready to take another hour of class
without a break in between.

In the above sentence, the subject ‘The students’ has been linked to the rest of the sentence with the linking verb
‘became’.

Different Categories of Verbs

Verbs can be divided into different categories according to their behaviour when used in a context. Let us look at the
categories explained below.

Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs

As you can see, verbs are used to denote actions, and they can be used in different forms to indicate when the
subject in a sentence is carrying out an action. A regular verb can be conjugated to show if the action takes place in
the past or if the action is taking place continuously.
In most cases, the past form of the verb is formed by adding an ‘ed’ to the root verb for regular verbs. On the other
hand, there are other verbs that do not follow this rule. They are called irregular verbs. These verbs have their own
unique forms. If you are wondering how to learn these irregular verbs, read the article on irregular verbs to find out
how.

Have a look at the examples given below.

 Dileep searched for his white shirt in his cupboard, but he did not find it. (Root verb – search)

 Did you find the book you were looking for?

In the above examples, the verb ‘searched’ is the past form of the regular verb ‘search’ by adding an ‘ed’ and the
verb form ‘looking’ indicates the continuous form of the regular verb ‘look’ by adding an ‘ing’ to the end of the root
verb.

 Selena read the book on the evolution of life on earth.

 Vineeth found the keys that went missing yesterday.

In the above examples, the verb ‘read’ stays the same in the past form and when used as a past participle. ‘Found’ is
the past form of the root verb ‘find’.

Transitive Verbs and Intransitive Verbs

Transitive and intransitive forms of verbs are used to denote how a verb acts when used with a direct object and
an indirect object. Let us look at a few examples.

 Vincent gave a box of chocolates to his brother. (Indirect object – his brother, Direct object – a box of
chocolates)

 Garry passed the water bottle to Kevin, who was sitting in the first row. (Indirect object – Kevin, Direct
object – the water bottle)

 The little girl ran around the park for two hours.

 Francey walked to school every day.

 My mom cleaned the house today. (Direct object – the house)

 Seena did not like the movie. (Direct object – the movie)

In the above examples, the verbs ‘gave’ and ‘passed’ in the first two sentences are seen to take a direct object and an
indirect object, whereas the verbs ‘ran’ and ‘walked’ take no object at all. In the last two sentences, the verbs
‘cleaned’ and ‘did not like’ take a direct object and no indirect object.

Verbs that take a direct object alone are called transitive verbs, and those verbs that do not take either a direct
object or an indirect object are called intransitive verbs. There is yet another category of verbs that take both the
direct object and the indirect object, and they are called ditransitive verbs.

What Is an Adverb?
Like an adjective gives us more information about the noun in a sentence, an adverb is used to provide
more information about the verb or the action in the sentence. It also has the property of describing the
adjective or another adverb.

Definition of an Adverb

An adverb, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is “a word that adds more information about
place, time, manner, cause or degree to a verb, an adjective, a phrase or another adverb.” The Cambridge
Dictionary defines an adverb as “a word that describes or gives more information about a verb, adjective,
adverb, or phrase.”

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides a similar definition. It defines an adverb as “a word used to
modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb and often used to show degree, manner, place, or time.”
According to the Collins Dictionary, an adverb is defined as “a word such as ‘slowly’, ‘ now’, ‘very’,
‘politically’, or ‘ fortunately’ which adds information about the action, event, or situation mentioned in a
clause.”

Types of Adverbs
Adverbs are categorised into different types according to their functions when used in a sentence. Given
below are the different types of adverb

Definition of an Adverb of Manner

The Macmillan Dictionary defines an adverb of manner as “an adverb that shows how someone does
something or how something happens. For example, in the sentences ‘Drive carefully’, ‘He talks too fast’,
‘The moon shone brightly’, and ‘I accidentally deleted the file’, ‘carefully’, ‘fast’, ‘brightly’ and
‘accidentally’ are manner adverbs.” The word ‘manner’, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is
defined as “the way in which something is done.” So an adverb of manner can be said to be one which
depicts the way in which an action is done.

Examples of Adverbs of Manner

Take a look at the following examples to learn how you can use adverbs of manner effectively.

 Deepika deeply regretted the damage caused by her son.

 They waited eagerly for their semester exam results.
 Monica and Rachel happily agreed to be Phoebe’s bridesmaids.
 I can write and listen to music simultaneously.
  We left the room quietly as we did not want to wake up the baby.

What Is an Adverb of Time?

An adverb of time, as the name suggests, can be used in a sentence to depict when an action mentioned in
the sentence is taking place. It can be identified by asking the question ‘when’. They work best when
placed at the end of a sentence, but you can change the position of the adverb to provide emphasis.

Definition of an Adverb of Time

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an adverb of time “can tell us about when an action happens,
(now, soon, etc.) or how frequently an action happens (usually, always, etc.)”

Examples of Adverbs of Time

Given below are some examples of how adverbs of time can be used in sentences. Check them out and try
to understand how it works.

 I will be going to my cousin’s place tomorrow.

 Yesterday, Teena met Anu at the supermarket.
 Can you please bring the photocopies soon so that we can provide it to the students?
 I thought I could finish cleaning my house today.
 Make sure you remind her to take the dried clothes later.
 Will you be able to submit all the documents immediately so that we could go forward with your recruitment process?

Definition of an Adverb of Frequency

The word ‘frequency’, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “the number of times
something happens within a particular period, or the fact of something happening often or a large number
of times.” So, an adverb of frequency is an adverb which depicts the number of times an action happens
within a particular period of time. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word ‘frequency’ as “the
rate at which something happens or is repeated.” Therefore, an adverb of frequency can be defined as an
adverb which denotes the rate at which something happens.

Examples of Adverbs of Frequency

Have a look at the following sentences to understand how an adverb of frequency can be used.

 Ashish often likes to have food from hotels.

 Wiley always buys groceries from the supermarket.
 The teachers have been instructed to take attendance every hour.
  Everyday, the hospitals see a huge inflow of accident casualties.
 We never like to have litchi juice from any other store.

Definition of an Adverb of Degree

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, adverbs of degree ”are used to show the intensity or degree of
something. They can be used before adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs.” The term ‘degree’, according to
the Oxford Dictionary, is defined as “the extent, measure or scope of an action, condition or relation.”
Therefore, an adverb that can describe the extent, measure or scope of an action can be termed as an
adverb of degree.

Examples of Adverbs of Degree

Given below are some examples for how adverbs of degree can be used in sentences.

 Mikki is very tall.

 The buttermilk we had was too cold.
 It is extremely cold this time of the year.
 Gowtham had almost completed his work.
 The class is unusually quiet today.

How Adverbs are Used in Sentences

Unlike other parts of speech, adverbs can be placed at any part of the sentence (beginning, middle or end),
and make complete sense without sounding absurd. Another characteristic is that multiple adverbs can be
used in a sentence. Have a look at the following examples to have a clear understanding of the same.

 I was planning to go to the supermarket to buy some groceries. However, I did not find the time to go. So I ordered
online.
 My mom did not cook breakfast today. Therefore, we ended up making noodles for everyone.
 Normally, we go to church on Sundays.
 Don’t you think the coffee is too sweet?
 Do not worry. You will gradually learn how to do it.
 The song I was listening to yesterday was very soothing.
 He kept talking to me for such a long time but I barely knew him.
 It is extremely hot outside today.
 How often do you work out?
 Can I come home tomorrow?

What Is an Adjective?
An adjective is a part of speech that can be used to describe or provide more information about
a noun or pronoun that acts as the subject in a sentence. Adjectives are found after the verb or before the
noun it modifies.

Definition of an Adjective

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an adjective is defined as “a word that describes a noun or
pronoun.” The Collins Dictionary gives a more elaborate definition. According to it, “an adjective is a
word such as ‘big’, ‘ dead’, or ‘ financial’ that describes a person or thing, or gives extra information
about them. Adjectives usually come before nouns or after link verbs.”

The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines an adjective as “a word that describes a person or thing, for
example ‘big’, ‘red’ and ‘clever’ in a big house, red wine and a clever idea.” An adjective is “a word
belonging to one of the major form classes in any of numerous languages and typically serving as a
modifier of a noun to denote a quality of the thing named, to indicate its quantity or extent, or to specify a
thing as distinct from something else”, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Forms of Adjectives – Degrees of Comparison

Did you know that adjectives can be used to compare similar qualities of different subjects that perform
the same action. There are three forms of adjectives or rather three degrees of comparison. The are:

 Positive or Absolute Form

 Comparative Form
 Superlative Form

Positive Degree of Comparison:

The positive form or the positive degree of comparison is the form of the adjective used in the original
form. For example: This book is interesting. This form of adjective is used when there is no other subject
to be compared.

Comparative Degree of Comparison

The comparative form of the adjective is used when two subjects performing the same action or
possessing the same quality are compared. For example: The book I read yesterday was more interesting
than the one I read today.

Superlative Degree of Comparison

The superlative degree of comparison is used when comparing the same quality of two or more subjects
and to represent that a subject is superior to two or more subjects in performing an action. For example:
This fantasy novel is the most interesting book that I have ever read.

Types of Adjectives
Adjectives can be divided into different categories based on their functions when used in a sentence. The
different types of adjectives are:

 Possessive Adjectives
 Interrogative Adjectives
 Demonstrative Adjectives
 Compound Adjectives

Possessive Adjectives:

These adjectives, like possessive pronouns, are used to show or represent possession of a quality. For
example: my, your, his, her, their, its, whose, etc.

Interrogative Adjectives:

An adjective that is used to modify a noun or a pronoun by asking a question is called an interrogative
adjective. There are only a few adjectives that can be termed as interrogative adjectives. They are whose,
what and which.

Demonstrative Adjectives:

Demonstrative adjectives are mainly used to describe the position of a subject (a noun or pronoun) in
space or time. This, that, these and those are the demonstrative adjectives in English.

Compound Adjectives:

Compound adjectives consist of two or more adjectives that are combined together to form an adjective
that can be used to modify the subject. Some examples of compound adjectives are cotton-tailed, curly-
haired, absent-minded, happy-go-lucky, etc.

How to Use Adjectives in Sentences?

Adjectives are known to give your writing and speech a very flowery look. It aids in making it descriptive
and also in giving your readers and listeners a visual treat. However, stuffing it with too many adjectives
can make it look or sound vague and unclear. This would only lead to misunderstanding of your content.
Knowing when, where and how to use adjectives is a skill that you should master.

Any piece of writing should be clear and precise. Find out if there is a word that specifically means
whatever you are trying to convey. For example: quick, swift, hasty, fleet, etc. are all adjectives that mean
‘very fast’. Likewise, contented, cheerful, merry, joyful, ecstatic, delighted, etc. are all words that
describe different degrees of happiness. There is also another concept that you should know. There is a
particular order in which you should place adjectives when you are using two or more adjectives to
describe the same subject or object. Check out the order of adjectives to learn more.

Examples of Adjectives
If you are wondering what part of speech a colour or a number belongs to, do not waste any more time
thinking about it. All colours and numbers are classified as adjectives. Adjectives are words that modify
nouns but in most cases, they can be seen to be doing much more than that. Given below are the various
ways in which adjectives can function and be used.

Adjectives as Complements

Adjectives can act as complements that modify nouns that act as subjects and objects. When the adjective
describes the object in a sentence, it is called an object complement and when it is used to describe the
subject in a sentence, it is referred to as a subject complement. They are seen to be used in sentences
which are seen to use the following patterns:

 SVC – Aaron is good.

In the above example, the adjective is ‘good’ and it is used to describe the subject ‘Aaron’ and so it is
called a subject complement.

 SVOC – The movie made Karthik sleepy.

Here, the adjective ‘sleepy’ describes the object ‘Karthik’ and so comes under the category of object
complements.

Adjectives as Coordinates

When two or more adjectives are used to describe the same noun in a sentence, they are called coordinate
adjectives. Coordinate adjectives are often separated by a comma or the conjunction ‘and’.

For example:
  The mobile phone is easy to use and handy.
 My cousin is tall and thin.

Multifunctional Adjectives

Adjectives can be made to function like or take the role of nouns in a sentence, and sometimes, a noun,
when used to describe or provide more information about another noun, can perform the role of an
adjective.

For example:

 I like my English teacher.

In the above example, the word ‘English’ is generally considered a noun as it represents a language and it
is a proper noun. But here, it is used to describe the noun ‘teacher’ which makes it an adjective.

 It is our duty to tend to the poor and the oppressed.

In this sentence, the words ‘the poor’ and ‘the oppressed’ pass off as nouns as it refers to ‘poor people’
and ‘oppressed people’. So, when adjectives are preceded by the article ‘the’, it often refers to a category
of people which makes the adjective a noun.

In addition to these types of adjectives, there are also phrases and clauses which act just like an adjective.
To know what they are and how they work in a sentence, check out the articles on adjective
phrases and adjective clauses.

What Is a Preposition?
A preposition is a short word that is employed in sentences to show the relationship nouns, pronouns
or phrases have with other parts within the respective sentences. Prepositions are normally found
positioned in the latter part of the sentence, but before a noun or pronoun.

Definition of a Preposition

A preposition is defined as “a word that connects a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun to another word,
esp. to a verb, another noun, or an adjective”, according to the Cambridge Dictionary. The Oxford
Learner’s Dictionary says that a preposition is “a word or group of words, such as in, from, to, out
of and on behalf of, used before a noun or pronoun to show place, position, time or method.”

The Collins Dictionary defines a preposition as “a word such as ‘by’, ‘for’, ‘into’, or ‘with’ which usually
has a noun group as its object.” The Merriam Webster Dictionary provides a slightly different definition.
According to it, a preposition is defined as “a function word that typically combines with a noun phrase to
form a phrase which usually expresses a modification or predication.”

Uses of Prepositions
Prepositions are seen to show some key characteristics and perform some vital functions when used in
sentences. Let us look at the various uses of prepositions in English.

 They are used to show the direction of something.

 They can refer to the time of something happening.
 They can be used to denote the position or location of an object in the sentence.
 They are also used to represent spatial relationships.
 Prepositional phrases, in particular, can be used to do all of these when used in sentences.

Types of Prepositions
Based on the different uses and functions of prepositions, they can be divided into four main types. They
are as follows:

 Prepositions of Time – used to show when something is happening.

For example:

 We will be meeting on Friday.

 The supermarket will be closed from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.
 Can you come after some time?
 We have been asked to work from home until the end of May.
 The whole country was asked to stay home during the pandemic to ensure safety and well-being.

 Prepositions of Place – indicate the place or position of something.

For example:

 I have kept the book I borrowed from you on the table.

 Henry hid behind the door.
 The dog jumped over the fence.
 Can you place the red roses in between the white daisies?
 He was waiting in front of the EB office.
 Prepositions of Direction – used to denote the direction in which something travels or moves.

For example:


  The girl ran toward her father the moment she saw him.
 Jerry jumped into the river to help his sister.
 Veena passed the book to Priya.
 When will Salvia be returning from London?
 Neena lives across the street.
 Prepositions of Location – employed to denote the location of a particular object.

For example:

 Kenny would be staying at his cousin’s place for the weekend.

 Make sure you keep all the toys back in its place after you play.
 I lay on the floor for a really long time.
 Prepositions of Spatial Relationship – used to denote an object’s movement away from the source and towards a
source.

For example:

 Navya sat leaning against the wall.

 The circus was stationed opposite the children’s park.
 Lakshmi sat beneath the trees.
 Shankar sat beside the stairs.
 We spent the evening walking around the lake.
 Prepositional Phrase – a combination of a preposition and a noun(the object it is affecting).

For example:

 See to it that you reach the venue on time.

 The medicines you asked for are out of stock.
 Why don’t we try taking classes outside for a change.
 Make sure you fill in all the forms at once.
 Salmaan was able to finish it only with the help of his friends.

Examples of Prepositions Used in Sentences

To know how exactly prepositions can be used in sentences, check out the following sentences.

 I will be going to church in the morning.

 She placed the plates on the dining table.
 Baskar found the cat hiding under the bed.
 Will you be with Raimy or Mazeeka?
 I love sitting on the beach at night.
 Rachel met Phoebe by the lake.
 Finn stood opposite Lisa.
  The grocery store is right in front of the bus stop.
 My brother climbed onto the roof.
 It feels great to sit beneath the trees and read.

What Are Interjections?

Interjection are a part of speech used to convey or express sudden feelings and emotions. There are no
particular rules as to where interjections should be placed in a sentence, but most often, they are seen to
appear in the beginning of a sentence. They are used to form exclamatory sentences. In order to develop a
clearer idea of what interjections are exactly, take a look at how different dictionaries define an
interjection.

Definition of an Interjection

An interjection, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a short sound, word
or phrase spoken suddenly to express an emotion.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines an interjection as
“a word that is used to show a short sudden expression of emotion.” According to the Merriam-Webster
Dictionary, an interjection is defined as “a word or phrase used in exclamation” and according to the
Macmillan Dictionary, an interjection is “a word or phrase used for expressing a strong emotion such as
surprise or anger.” The Collins Dictionary defines an interjection as “a word or expression which you use
to express a strong feeling such as surprise, pain, or horror.”

Examples of Interjections
Here are some examples of interjections to show you how they can be used in sentences effectively.

 Hurray! We won the match.

 Ouch! That really hurt badly.
 Wow! That is a beautiful dress indeed.
 Oh my God! That was unexpected.
 Whoa! That guy is unbelievably huge.

List of Interjections for Everyday Communication

Now, here is a list of interjections that you can use in your daily communication.

Examples of Interjections

Interjection Purpose Example

Alas To express sadness or pity Alas! That was so unfortunate.

Ah To express realisation or surprise Ah, the magic show at the end was a total surprise!

Eh To enquire or ask for something to be repeated Eh! I didn’t quite get it. Can you please repeat it?

Dear To express pity or surprise Oh dear! I feel really bad for what happened to you.

Hey To express surprise or call for attention Hey! Look out for the car.

Hurray To express joy Hurray! We finally cleared the test.

Oh To express pain or surprise Oh! I have a really bad headache.

Ouch To express pain Ouch! You stepped on my toes.

Phew To express relief, exhaustion, disgust Phew! That was an extremely long presentation.

Uh To express hesitation Uh! I don’t think I want to be a part of this.

Well To introduce a remark Well, what you just did was wonderful.

Wow To express your admiration for something Wow! Your new bike is amazing.

Yippee To express joy Yippee! Tomorrow is a holiday.

How and When to Use Interjections?

When using interjections, there are some very important punctuation rules that you should keep in mind.
Given below are the points you have to remember.

 When a short interjection is used in the beginning of a sentence, it should be followed by a comma.
 When an interjection forms a sentence by itself, the interjection can be followed by a full stop, a question mark or
an exclamation mark.
 When an interjection is used in the middle of a sentence, the interjection has to be preceded and followed by a comma.

What Are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are used to combine two or more objects, phrases or clauses. It can also be termed as
connectors as they are employed in sentences to make connections. Conjunctions can normally be found
in the latter part of a sentence if they are used to connect clauses. If conjunctions are used to connect
objects or phrases, they can appear in the beginning, middle or end of the sentence according to the
position of the objects or phrases.
Definition of a Conjunction

A conjunction, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “a word such as ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘while’,
or ‘although’ that connects words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence.” The Merriam Webster Dictionary
defines a conjunction as “an uninflected linguistic form that joins together sentences, clauses, phrases, or
words.”

A conjunction is “word that joins words, phrases or sentences, for example and, but or so”, according to
the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary. The Collins Dictionary gives a slightly different definition. According
to it, a conjunction is “any word or group of words, other than a relative pronoun, that connects words,
phrases, or clauses.”

Types of Conjunctions
Conjunctions are mainly used to join actions, ideas and thoughts. They are categorised into three main
types:

 Coordinating conjunctions – used to combine two independent clauses. Examples of coordinating conjunctions are for,
and, nor, but, or, yet and so.
 Subordinating conjunctions – used to combine an independent clause and a dependent clause. Examples of
subordinating conjunctions are if, although, though, after, before, because, as if, unless, until, when, while, etc.
 Correlative conjunctions – used to combine two phrases or parts of the sentence which have equal importance within a
sentence. Examples of correlative conjunctions are not only…but also, either…or, neither…nor, whether…or, rather…
or, if…then, etc.

Examples of Conjunctions
Have a look at the following sentences to understand how conjunctions can be employed in sentences.

 Sruthi and I visited Gokarna last weekend.

 Do you have a rough notebook or at least a rough sheet of paper?
 I did not go to work today because I was not keeping well.
 She did not like the food, yet she ate it.
 I will be leaving tomorrow so I am trying to finish all the pending assignments.

List of Most Commonly Used Conjunctions in Daily Communication

Given below is a list of most commonly used conjunctions that you can use in your daily communication.

Examples of Conjunctions
And Or Nor
But Yet So
Because Still For
Not only…but also As When
While As soon as If
Unless In case In addition to
Whereas Though Although
Until Before After
Even if Rather than So that
Either…or As if Neither…or
Both…and Whether…or Or else

What is an Article?
An article is a short monosyllabic word that is used to define if the noun is specific or not. Articles are
normally used before nouns and since they are used to speak about the noun, they can be considered as
adjectives.

Definition of an Article
An article, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as “any of a small set of words or
affixes (such as a, an, and the) used with nouns to limit or give definiteness to the application.” According
to the Collins Dictionary, “an article is a kind of determiner. In English, ‘a’ and ‘an’ are called the
indefinite article, and ‘the’ is called the definite article.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines an article as
“a type of determiner (=word used before a noun) that shows whether you are referring to a particular
thing or to a general example of something. The indefinite article is ‘a’ or ‘an’ and the definite article is
‘the’.”

Types of Articles
There are three articles in English – ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’. These articles are divided into two types namely:

 Definite Article
 Indefinite Article

Definite Article

Among the three articles, ‘the’ is said to be the definite article. A definite article is used to determine
something that is specific or particular. It is also used before plural nouns and to indicate the superlative
degree of comparison. Furthermore, it can be used before collective nouns as well.

For example:
  The Sun sets in the west.
In the above sentence, the nouns ‘Sun’ and ‘west’ are proper nouns and are specific and so the definite
article has to be used.

 The children are playing cricket.

In the above sentence, the definite article is used to determine the plural noun, ‘children’.

 This is the world’s longest river.

In the above sentence, the definite article is used to denote the superlative degree of comparison.

 The crowd sang along with the band.

In the above sentence, the definite article is used before the collective nouns, ‘crowd’ and ‘band’.

Indefinite Article

The articles ‘an’ and ‘an’ are termed as indefinite articles. An indefinite article, as the name suggests, is
used to indicate something that is not definite or specific. It can also be used before singular nouns.

Among the indefinite articles, ‘an’ is used before singular nouns that start with vowel sounds and ‘a’ is
used before singular nouns that begin with consonant sounds.

For example:

 I had an apple for breakfast.

 Do you have an eraser?
 I saw an aeroplane.
 She has a pet dog.
 My father is a doctor.
 My brother gave me a calculator.

Usage and Exceptions – Points to be Remembered When Using

Articles
Articles are used extensively by English language users, and for this very reason, it is important to know
where and where not to use them. In order to have a thorough knowledge of how to use the right articles
in the right places, have a look at the following.

A or An?
The article ‘an’ is normally used before words that begin with vowel sounds. However, this is often
confused with the idea that it can be used before words that start with a vowel. Look at the examples
given below to understand how this works.

 I have an umbrella.
 This is an orange.
 An elephant was crossing the road.
If you see here, the words ‘university’ and ‘unique’ start with a vowel. However, it does not have a vowel
sound but a consonant sound ‘yu’ in the beginning. It is because of this reason that the indefinite article,
‘a’ is used instead of ‘an’.

 Studying in a university will give you a lot of exposure.

 This is a unique way of communicating with birds.
In the examples given below, ‘an’ is used before ‘MBA’ and ‘hour’ though they are words starting with
consonants. This is because the word ‘MBA’ starts with ‘m’ which has a vowel sound (em) in the
beginning. Likewise, the ‘h’ in the word ‘hour’ is silent, thus having a vowel sound in the beginning.

 I have completed an MBA degree.

 It took an hour to reach the airport.

Exceptions

Words starting with a vowel, but use ‘a’ instead of ‘an’:

 One
 University
 Unique
 Uniform
 Unit
 Eucalyptus
 Utensil
 Euro
 UFO
Words starting with a consonant, but use ‘an’ instead of ‘a’.
  Hour
 Honest
 Hourly
 MBA
 MBBS
 MA
 MSc
 MMR
 MCom
 MLA
 NCC
 Honorary
 X-ray
 Xmas
There are also some cases in which you will have to use the indefinite article ‘the’ before a common
noun. Look at the following set of sentences to understand how this works.

Example 1: My brother and I are going for a wedding reception. The reception is held in an open lawn at
7 p.m.

Example 2: I saw a dog at the end of the street. The dog came running to me.

Example 3: Tharun watched a movie yesterday. He felt that the movie was too slow.

Examples of Articles
Let us look at a few more examples to find out how articles can be used.

 The English teacher is absent today.

 I saw a bird sitting on the tree in front of my house.
 Not many know how to use an oven properly.
 Tom has a cat.
 We are going to buy a dress for our daughter.
 Carry an umbrella. I am sure it will rain.